'Elliot' wins 10 Drama Desk Awards

NEW YORK, May 18 (UPI) -- "Billy Elliot the Musical" won 10 Drama Desk Awards, including the prize for outstanding musical, in a ceremony in New York.

The 54th annual Drama Desk Awards presentation took place at the F.H. LaGuardia Concert Hall at Manhattan's Lincoln Center Sunday.

"Elliot" won the honors for choreography, orchestrations, lighting design and sound design. Its director, Stephen Daldry, won the outstanding director of a musical award, Gregory Jbara the prize for featured actor in a musical, Haydn Gwynne the statuette for featured actress in a musical, Elton John the honor for outstanding music and Lee Hall the trophy for outstanding book of a musical.

"Shrek the Musical" star Brian d'Arcy James won the Drama Desk Award for outstanding lead actor in a musical, and the show's Tim Hatley picked up the prizes for outstanding costume design and set design of a musical.

The play "The Norman Conquests" won the competitive honors for outstanding revival of a play and outstanding director of a play for its director Matthew Warchus. The show's cast also garnered a special ensemble award.

Lynn Nottage's "Ruined" earned the Drama Desk Awards for outstanding play and outstanding music in a play.

Janet McTeer won the gong for outstanding lead actress in a drama for her work in "Mary Stuart" and Allison Janney picked up the award for lead actress in a musical for her performance in "9 to 5."

Geoffrey Rush was voted outstanding lead actor in a play for "Exit the King," Angela Lansbury was declared the winner of the actress in a play trophy for "Blithe Spirit" and Pablo Schreiber was named outstanding featured actor in a play for "reasons to be pretty."